May 24, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 DEVOTIONS What does it mean for Christ to be glorified in us? The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon answered: “Even now His saints glorify Him. When they walk in holiness they do, as it were, reflect His light. Their holy deeds are beams from Him who is the […]
May 23, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:7b–10 DEVOTIONS What is biblical justice? How is it different than what we mean by justice today? Pastor and author Tim Keller explained: “In the West, when we think of justice, we think of individual rights. We think justice means freeing individuals from the constrictions of the group, freeing […]
May 22, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:3–7a DEVOTIONS The word martyr originally meant “witness”—someone who testifies to truths they have personally seen, heard, and experienced. Even in the first generation of believers, though, the word came to signify someone who testified to truth under threat of death. That’s what we mean today— a martyr is […]
May 21, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:1–2 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Do you get excited when you receive an actual hand-written letter? In today’s era, letters are a rare treat. But in Paul’s time, they were a necessary means of communication. This second epistle to the Thessalonians was likely written just a few months after the […]
May 20, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:25–28 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Nowadays, we authenticate or verify as genuine a person’s identity through such means as government-issued picture ID cards or notarized signatures. Higher standards of proof can be met by fingerprints, retinal scans, or DNA matching. These techniques were not available in the ancient world, of […]
May 19, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue What does it mean when the Bible says we are to long for Christ’s return? The fifth president of Moody Bible Institute, William Culbertson, once preached: “If you say you love the appearing of Christ and are indifferent to the claims of Christ and are […]
May 18, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In 2020, many of us struggled to maintain a positive attitude. As week after week and month after month passed with no end to the pandemic in sight, it was easy for even the most ardent optimist to get discouraged. In today’s reading, the apostle […]
May 17, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A well-known quote from the gangster movie The Untouchables expresses a strong spirit of retaliation or revenge: “You wanna know how to get [gangster Al] Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his […]
May 16, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:7–11 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The belt of truth. The helmet of salvation. The shield of faith. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us to put on the “full armor of God” in order to prepare for spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10–17). We put on the breastplate of righteousness […]
May 15, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:1–6 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue An elementary school teacher told her class to be ready because in the coming week there would be a fire alarm. She taught them what they should do when the bell rang. They would need to follow directions and act promptly. But, of course, she […]